San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-03-01
A PHANTOM BRIDE.
BY the Author Of 1.-THE Ice OAR
NIvAL."

should say. Hulloa, tneer! e tn
right, dye see twinklin' light doom
agroundp though how tn divil they
maun chance to gittin T same be
moor than can say; anyhoO-"
"Anyhoo, max less ado, whip up
tn losses an push ahead!" rejoined
Tom, rising to the occasion literally no
less than metaphorically, for he strug-
gled to his feet under this excitement,
and clambering down by aid of the
wheel, ran round to the horses heads,
and seized the off-side brute by the bri-
die to assist its stumbling gait.
"Chance it's carriage-lamps, if so be all
be as tn little lass said" he continued.
"Gadl but Use rect doom pleased t. see
that same, fur it ave jist STRICKEN me,
Bill, as 'ow it 'ud be pretty go if tn
wench lad lad mind t. hoaxen US, an
we wur t. find theer'd been niver no ac-
cident at ALP
"Hoaxen, indeed!" returned Bill with
an air of infinite superiority, as though
more disguised than amused by the sim
plicity of his companions; "wha liver
heard o. foolin' folks a. this time o.
Chrissermas Eve O. all guide nights?
let alone playin' tricks o. solemn festi-
lulCol 4No1 lftt4 Nuh my "Oolu III w.
lassies is ma so fule as T. tempt tn old
man i that ere unseemly flashing. Hap
pen he'd be alter 'um bodily, an carry
'um off whites tn very poudin wur
simmerin' i tn potl"
Thus the cheer carriers beguiled the
tedium of the way, doing their duty
like Christians land first-rate men of
business!) despite the inclemency of the
hour and the manifold attractions else
where. And once the glimmer of the
lantern caught their eye, they took
heart Of grace, and turning the corner
of the crossroads at this junCture,
raised aloft their own lantern and
"whooped" at the very top of their
united voices, urging their stout cobs
forward at the same moment at their
utmost speed-which same, however,
was hardly calculated to bring them
within the scope of the bylaw anent
furious driving" for the tired beasts
could but stumble along at a. snail's
pace, sinking every now and then above
their fetlocks in the drift snow, or else
coming to grief over buried timber or
blocks of stone.
But that shout reached the ear, and
revived the fainting spirits and droop-
ing hearts of those afar, and was forth
with answered by cry of grateful ac-
acknowledgement from Dick Carlisle's
lips, which spurred both men and
beasts alike to do their best for fellow
creatures in distress, regardless of all
personal cost. So Tom tugged at the
bride helping 9Th old meer" over the
toughest places, as though she were a
toddling child he feared to let run alone;
whilst Bill went round to the rear of
the cart, and literally putting his Shout
der to the wheel assisted the convey
ance over stones and out of ruts in a
fashion which very considerably accel-
Grated the general progress.
Once the angle of the road was
turned, the distance was shorter than
had at first appeared; and, ten minutes
later, rescued and rescuers were in
speaking distance of one another.
"Bear upl"
BADLY, badlyln came the response
you're not minute too soonl For
Gods sake, hasten. I've a man here
seems more like dead than faint; / my
self am three parts frozen, positively
paralyzed with coldl'
But very few moments after that,
Tom and Bill had brought their horses
to full stop, and knowing to an inch
the width and exact position Of the
dyke, deity placed the movable cart
planks dubbed 'seats" by courtesy
across the snow, so as to span the aper-
ture beneath, treacherously covered
now by the drift-thus forming an i'm
promptu gangway.
To grope their way by these means to
the sufferers side was comparatively
easy, and by the united efforts of the
carriers, Jim Browne was presently
bodily raised and carried to the warm
shelter of the cart; where stretched up
on the straw, and covered by all avail
able wraps and rugs, he was for the
moment left, whilst the men returned
to assist Dick over the ground to 9TH